Combined fence-post and take-up.



G. J. MULLER. COMBINED FENCE POST AND TAKE-UP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1914.

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QwdW E GEORGE J. MULLER, OF BALTIIWORE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED FENCE-POST AND TAKE-UP.

Specification of Letters lPatent.

Patented July 28, iiii'aiiei.

Application filed April 1, 1914. Serial No. 828,784.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MULLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fence-Posts and Take- Ups, of which the following is a specification. t

This invention has for one of its objects to providea post which will serve not only the purpose of supporting wire fencing of any kind, but will serve to take up or yield slack in the fencing at any time and will hold the fencing releasably, so that it can be readily removed, as for placing the fencing in a different position, or for opening up one or more panels to establish communication past the fence.

A further object is to construct the fence post with a combined retaining and tensioning means, that shall be durable in use and very economical to produce, in that it is made up merely by the assembling of standard or stock materials readily purchasable in the open market.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a channel-iron post having suitably spaced suspending flanges and an adjustably in truding'channel-iron retaining and tensioning bar of less transverse dimensions than the post, adapted to enter in between the suspending flanges and to remain out of contact with the post at all adjustments, thus providing a substantially floating slack adjusting member, so that when the fencing is laid across the channel of the post and the combined retaining and tensioning bar is laid over the fencing and drawn into the channelof the post, it not only firmly holds the wire of the fencing, but takes up the portion of the length of the fencing proportional to the degree of intrusion of the retaining and tensioning bar into the channel of the post; means for drawing the retaining and tensioning bar into the channel being provided in the form of bolts passing through the bar and post as well as the intQI'POSBCl fencing, so that they incidentally support the fencing against slipping downward when the clamping action is insufficient for this purpose; the heads of the bolts or their nuts, if preferred, being disposed in the channel of the retaining and tensioning bar so as to resist turning while the bolts are being tightened up from the rear side of the post. The channeled post affords an advantageous footing for the post in 21 cc ment or other sufficiently hard foundation, particularly if the web of the channel be split and the bifurcated end thus provided is spread apart. The bolts for drawing the bar and post together are likewise available for attachment of corner and other braces or bracing wires, and the structural shape of the post or post and bar combined is ad of the same, showing the bar in different tensioning positions, in a fence post embodying the features of my invention.

A represents the post, made of structural steel rolled in channel section with comparatively deep flanges a, substantially perpendicular to the web or back of the member and having its lower end split at w to provide a spreading and bifurcated end to give it a firmer footing in a base B of cement or other sutiiciently hard material, in which the post is to be embedded. 0 represents a combined retaining and tensioning bar also cou structed of rolled structural steel having a channel section with straight sides, but of sufficiently less dimensions than the section of the post to adapt the bar not only to enter freely into the channel of the post, but to leave considerable spaces at the sides for the wires 1) of the fencing which pass over the flanges of the post and under the retaining bar without bending the wire too abruptly.

E represents bolts p ovided with faced heads passing through both the bar and post and with suitable nuts by which to i draw the bar into the channel of the post a distance sufficient to firmly bind the fencing and as much farther as may be Mecca sary to take up slack in the fencing either at the time the fencing is originallyerected or sul'isequently when the fencing becomes loose from any cause and further tensioning becomes desirable. The holes for the bolts are preferably located in such rela tion to the horizontal strands of the fencing as to afford vertical support for the latter, at least temporarily when the-fencing is bolts through the post alone may be employed for this purpose.

For fencing very uneven surfaces where it is often necessary to erect a post at a comparatively low level, either an extra length of post may be employed or, if desired, a somewhat larger channel member may be telcscoped with the main body of the post and held on by the retaining and tensioning bolts, or by special bolts, as may be desire I A combined fence post and slack adjuster for flexible metallic-fencing composed essentially of two members and means holding them together; to wit, a channel-bar supporting-member having laterally spaced suspending flanges across which the fencing is masses to lie suspended and having a free intervening space which avoids 0 struction to the intrusion of the fencing; a combined retaining and tensioning member having a bearing extended in the direction of the fencing, through which it rests firmly and without rocking upon the portion of the fencing suspended between said flanges; said retaining and tensioning member being proportioned to avoid contact with the supporting mem her in all adjustments and to leave between its sidewalls and said suspending flanges, free spaces in which the suspended portions of the fencing may flex; and drawing-- bolts passing through the members and adjustably intruding the retaining and tensioning member together-with the suspended portions of the fencing into the space between the suspending flanges without biting the fencing between the two members.

The foregoing specification signed at Washington, District of Columbia, this 19th day of March, 1914:.

GEORGE J. MULLER. In presence of HERvEY S. Knrsrrr, EDWIN S. CLARKSON.

Bepiet of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Eateries. Washington, D. C. 

